One-way key fob and vehicle pairing

Abstract

Key fob and vehicle control unit identifiers (IDs) are used for entity authentication or trust transfer to achieve a secured initial pairing. The key fob is capable of transmitting only (not receiving) and is paired with a control unit in a vehicle or with any other control device. Use of the key fob and control unit IDs prevents unauthorized pairing and access to the operation key (OpKey) that is later used for communications between the devices. Elliptical curve cryptography (ECC) is used for strong security and efficient implementation. In the pairing process, device IDs are used for entity authentication and public key cryptography is used for easy key management. Symmetric encryption is used for fast normal operation and to accommodate key fob addition or revocation after key fob loss.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 969,154, filed Aug. 16, 2013, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 695,145, which is titled “One-Way Keyfob-Car Pairing,” filed on Aug. 30, 2012, the disclosures of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]Embodiments of the invention are directed, in general, to vehicle security and, more specifically, to pairing a key fob that is capable of transmitting to, but not receiving from, a vehicle control unit with the unit.BACKGROUND[0003]Identifiers are assigned to a wireless key fob and a vehicle control unit by their respective manufacturers or by a vehicle manufacturer. The identifiers are used for authentication and / or trust transfer to achieve a secured initial pairing. For the key fob and the vehicle control unit to be able to communicate, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides methods for securely pairing a key fob with a vehicle control unit using the identifiers of both the key fob and the vehicle control unit. This is done to reduce security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. The key fob and control unit IDs are assigned by their manufacturers or the vehicle manufacturer to achieve secure initial pairing. The use of ECC or other encryption techniques helps ensure strong security, while the use of device IDs and public key cryptography help manage keys efficiently. Symmetric encryption is also used for fast normal operation and accommodates key fob addition or revocation after loss. Overall, the invention improves the security of vehicle-key fob pairing.

Problems solved by technology

This substantially decreases security vulnerabilities that could be otherwise exploited by hackers.

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